Just curious as to why there seem to be folks that own 5-10 N frames and never seem to see the big frame Colts in DA much? Lots of Pythons, and Det Specials at the shows, and I own a Cobra personally. I really like the big frame Colts with no underlug and fixed sights, but the never seem to surface. Was the Colt issue .45 ACP revolver from WWII not as prevelent as the Smith?
love for the N Frame, but why not big ol' Colts?
- Thread starter porkskin
- Start date
That's a good question to ask. It basically breaks down to user friendliness and availability. The big Colt DA's, aside from the Anaconda, stopped at the New Service and was simply not developed past that. In addition, the New Service while a fine handgun, was larger than an N Frame and a bit of a stretch for some folks hands. Snmith and Wesson however, continued to develop the N Frame in both fixed and adjustable sighted models to suit just about any occassion. They still do. That and the N Frame, while still large, fits most folks just fine.
The Smith lockwork is also infinitley easier to work on over the Colt.
Plus, N Frames are cool. All the popular kids have at least one.
The Smith lockwork is also infinitley easier to work on over the Colt.
Plus, N Frames are cool. All the popular kids have at least one.
Technosavant
New member
I'd love to get an Anaconda to keep my 327 and 629 company, but for the price of what decent condition Colts tend to command, I can get new Smith Performance Center guns, or at least be most of the way to them.
Colt New Service in .38 special
Here are some pictures of a mint original commercial model, 1938 vintage, Colt New Service revolver chambered in .38 special. It has the later, slim tapered barrel and has the slender round butt grip frame, exactly the same as for the premium Colt New Srvice, Shooting Master revolver. The quality of this New Service .38 is superb and, the action is butter smooth-even superior to my Python's!:
Here are some pictures of a mint original commercial model, 1938 vintage, Colt New Service revolver chambered in .38 special. It has the later, slim tapered barrel and has the slender round butt grip frame, exactly the same as for the premium Colt New Srvice, Shooting Master revolver. The quality of this New Service .38 is superb and, the action is butter smooth-even superior to my Python's!:
spencer5650
New member
I can handle an N frame fine, but the Colt is too large for my hand. Also, the cylinder release is backwards and is just awkward for me to use.
At my indoor action league, we had a nasty habit of having stages where you had to hit a stop plate with a "mystery gun", occasionally a New Service. It was bone-stock, and shot great.
Too bad the companies that have mastered knocking off the SAA havn't seen the light and made a run of them.
Too bad the companies that have mastered knocking off the SAA havn't seen the light and made a run of them.
John Moses
Moderator
I have 2 Colt revolvers (Detective Special & Python) and love them both.
For me it is about price. My gun buying budget goes farther buying Smiths.
If I had an unlimited budget my life would be different. The garage would be the size of a warehouse. The wife would be a distant memory. The gun vault would contain lots of big Colts.
But alas...
For me it is about price. My gun buying budget goes farther buying Smiths.
If I had an unlimited budget my life would be different. The garage would be the size of a warehouse. The wife would be a distant memory. The gun vault would contain lots of big Colts.
But alas...
WINSTON THE WOLF
Moderator
You can buy 3 nice used S&W's to one python and you can even shoot them too!!!. Seems like all pythons are now safe queens
John Moses
Moderator
Mine is my bedside revolver but you are right. I don't shoot it as much as I would like because I anticipate trading it.
It seems to me the New Service is long discontinued while the N-Frame is still
going strong. When you buy a New Serice you buy a piece if history, when you buy say a post 1961-say, -3 N Frame you buy history but you also buy a
using gun. Also Colt has pretty much withdrawn fron the DA revolver market.
Why desire a revolver that is hard to come by? es, I know, "Dirty Harry" made the M-29 desireable
and hard to obtain, but in that case it seems S&W couldn't make them fast enough.
going strong. When you buy a New Serice you buy a piece if history, when you buy say a post 1961-say, -3 N Frame you buy history but you also buy a
using gun. Also Colt has pretty much withdrawn fron the DA revolver market.
Why desire a revolver that is hard to come by? es, I know, "Dirty Harry" made the M-29 desireable
and hard to obtain, but in that case it seems S&W couldn't make them fast enough.
Peter M. Eick
New member
I would not consider the Python a safe queen. I see a lot of them at my range. Actually pythons are more common then big N frames down here. You tend to see Ruger's, Pythons and and Semi's. Guys like me shooting 38/44's are "rare!".
+1 on Don't Fit My Hands
I'm with kraigwy. It's me, not the guns, but Colts just rap my knuckles badly. Not only the New Service (.455 Webley converted to .45 Colt before I got it), but a Colt Official Police in .38 S&W -- not even .38 Special.
Yet I can shoot N-frames comfortably. I suppose I need to find one of those grip adapters that you always see folks putting on S&Ws.
I'm with kraigwy. It's me, not the guns, but Colts just rap my knuckles badly. Not only the New Service (.455 Webley converted to .45 Colt before I got it), but a Colt Official Police in .38 S&W -- not even .38 Special.
Yet I can shoot N-frames comfortably. I suppose I need to find one of those grip adapters that you always see folks putting on S&Ws.